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UNITEDLENDING

Investment property loans · Erie County, NY

Hard money, fix and flip and DSCR loans in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo investors often work with older frame houses, especially the two-family 'doubles' found in neighborhoods like Riverside and North Buffalo, plus historic homes in Allentown and the Elmwood Village. Buying a double, renovating it and renting both units suits buy-and-hold owners, but city rental registration, proactive rental inspections and New York's new lead rental registry add compliance steps that belong in the budget from the start.

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Where investors buy

Neighborhoods investors look at in Buffalo

Buffalo's rental rules are written around 'singles' and 'doubles,' the local terms for one- and two-family houses. Riverside's two-family homes date from the 1890s onward and North Buffalo's two-flats from the 1920s, while Allentown adds Italianate, Queen Anne and Shingle-style houses.
AllentownA National Register historic district of hundreds of buildings in Italianate, Queen Anne, Shingle and plain framed styles.
Elmwood VillageThe neighborhood where Buffalo's reinvestment since the 1990s began, including homes along Olmsted and Vaux's Bidwell Parkway.
North Buffalo1920s single-family houses and two-flats around North Park and the Hertel Avenue commercial strip.
RiversideTwo-family homes from the 1890s and houses built after 1901 with lumber from the Pan-American Exposition, on lots larger than neighboring Black Rock's.
Fruit BeltOlder houses on an 1830s street grid next to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, where medical development has put pressure on the existing homes.

Loan programs

Loans for Buffalo real estate investors

Pick the loan that fits the deal: short-term money to buy, renovate or build, or a long-term loan to hold the property. Published limits are subject to appraisal and underwriting.
Long-term

DSCR rental loans in Buffalo

30-year loans for Buffalo rentals of 1–4 units, fixed or adjustable, qualified on the rent with no personal income verification: up to 85% of the price on a purchase, with loans from $75,000.

Purchase LTV up to85%
Term30 years
Income docsNot required
Loans from$75K

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

DSCR loans: terms and requirements
Short-term

Fix and flip loans in Buffalo

Buy and renovate in Buffalo with up to 95% of the price and 100% of the rehab budget, on a 12–18 months interest-only loan with no prepayment penalty when the house sells.

Purchase price up to95%
Rehab funded up to100%
Term12–18 months
Prepayment penaltyNone

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

Fix and flip loans: terms and requirements
Short-term

Bridge loans in Buffalo

Close quickly on a Buffalo property with up to 95% of the cost financed and a 12–18 months interest-only term, then sell it or refinance onto a long-term loan. No prepayment penalty.

Leverage up to95% LTC
Term12–18 months
PaymentsInterest only
Prepayment penaltyNone

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

Bridge loans: terms and requirements
Short-term

Ground-up construction loans in Buffalo

Financing for new builds in Buffalo, from spec homes built to sell to rentals built to hold. Every project is quoted on its plans, budget and builder.

Quoted on your deal.

Construction loans: get a quote
Long-term

Multifamily and commercial loans in Buffalo

Financing for Buffalo apartment buildings of five units or more, mixed-use and commercial property, quoted on the building's income.

Quoted on your deal.

Multifamily and commercial: get a quote

Good to know

Before you buy in Buffalo

Local rules and costs that change a deal's numbers or closing date in Buffalo and Erie County. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
  • Register non-owner-occupied single and double rentals with the city every year; landlords certify awareness of possible lead hazards in pre-1978 homes, and owners cited for lead-paint violations must complete lead training or risk losing the property's rental registration certificate.
  • Plan for Proactive Rental Inspections: the 2020 law calls for non-owner-occupied singles and doubles to be inspected every three years, and a passing property receives a Certificate of Rental Compliance.
  • If the building has two or more units, was built before 1980 and sits in one of the Buffalo ZIP codes Erie County lists for the state Lead Rental Registry, budget for lead inspections and a Lead Safety Certificate every three years.
  • Ask for the seller's Property Condition Disclosure Statement; since March 20, 2024, New York sellers can no longer substitute a $500 credit, and the form now asks about flood risk and flood insurance.

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United Lending LLC offers business-purpose financing secured by non-owner-occupied investment real estate. We do not offer loans for personal, family or household purposes, or loans on owner-occupied primary residences.

Questions

Loans in Buffalo: common questions

Do you offer hard money loans in Buffalo?

Yes. United Lending LLC offers private real estate financing for investors in Buffalo and the rest of Erie County: fix and flip and bridge loans sized on the deal, and DSCR rental loans sized on the rent. We're headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, and lend nationwide.

Do you offer DSCR loans in Buffalo?

Yes. Our DSCR loans are 30-year loans on 1–4 unit rentals, fixed or adjustable, qualified on the property's rent against its monthly payment with no personal income verification, up to 85% loan-to-value on a purchase and loans from $75,000. Investors use them for rentals in Allentown, Elmwood Village and North Buffalo, among other parts of Buffalo.

How much can I borrow for a Buffalo flip?

Up to 95% of the purchase price and up to 100% of the rehab budget, on a 12–18 months interest-only loan. Those are maximums, subject to appraisal and underwriting: the property, your experience and the comps set what your loan gets.

Is there a prepayment penalty on a loan in Buffalo?

There's no prepayment penalty on fix and flip or bridge loans. DSCR rental loans come with a choice of prepayment terms, from none up to five years, set out in your written terms before you commit.

Do I need to live in Buffalo or have a New York LLC?

No. You can borrow in your own name or through an LLC, wherever you live; many of our borrowers invest outside their home state. If your LLC was formed outside New York, your loan officer will tell you what's needed before closing.

New York

More places we lend in New York

Sources (8)Checked November 9, 2026

United Lending's loan terms are its published program limits. The local rules and costs on this page come from the public sources below, checked on the date shown; confirm them with the city, county or your closing attorney before you rely on them.

  1. City of Buffalo: Rental Registration
  2. City of Buffalo: Proactive Rental Inspections
  3. Erie County Department of Health: NYS Lead Rental Registry
  4. NYS Department of Health: Lead Rental Registry Program launch
  5. NY Real Property Law Section 462 (property condition disclosure form)
  6. NY Senate: Bill A1967 of 2023 (repeal of the $500 credit)
  7. Wikipedia: Riverside, Buffalo
  8. Wikipedia: Allentown, Buffalo